1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flexible tube insertion apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, in an endoscope system disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. H6-70879, a flexible, elongated insertion section is inserted into a tube such as the large intestine, and the inside of the tube is observed by using an imaging element provided at a distal end of the insertion section.
In this endoscope system, a location where the flexibility of a flexible tube provided in the insertion section is selected based on insertion patterns in the past, and the flexibility of the flexible tube is partly varied. Besides, the selection of the location where the flexibility is varied is executed by an operator's remote operation. For example, the ease in insertion of the insertion section into the large intestine in an endoscopic examination is improved and the load on the operator and patient is reduced by the selection of the location where the flexibility is varied, which is based on the insertion patterns in the past, and by the partial variation of the flexibility.